Curious Minnesota

In the summer of 1977, the leaders of a small Iron Range town made a rather bold announcement: Kinney, Minn., had seceded from the United States. The statement was tongue-in-cheek, but the town’s situation wasn’t funny. The story of the Republic of Kinney is one of dismissed town needs, a wacky, bar-born plan and the power of media attention. Reporter Christa Lawler joined host Erica Pearson to sh...

The Minnesota town of Herman gained notoriety in the 1990s for having nearly 80 bachelors and fewer than a dozen unmarried women. During Herman’s time as “Bachelortown, U.S.A.”, its eligible bachelor farmers were seemingly everywhere — including on “The Oprah Winfrey Show." Reporter Jenny Berg joined host Erica Pearson to share what happened in the decades since. LINKS: What happened after ‘bachel...

The small Minnesota town of Motley, despite being so far from the ocean, is home to seafood plants that process millions of pounds of imitation crab. More than 500 people work in the seafood business there. It all began with a business called Morey's Seafood. Reporter Brooks Johnson joined host Erica Pearson to share Morey's fascinating origin story and the current state of the industry in Motley...

We’re excited to introduce Worth It, a new show from The Minnesota Star Tribune and Lemonada Media. Each week, editor Nicole Norfleet and columnist Aaron Brown are joined by people who know Minnesota inside and out – reaching into the spaces you might not know to share the stories worth your attention, the places worth a look, and the events worth your time – and money. In this episode, whether yo...

Como Zoo in St. Paul is more than 120 years old, and was the metro area's primary zoo for many decades. Erica Pearson joins host Eric Roper to discuss the origins of the zoo, and how it has changed over the years. LINKS: How an unexpected gift launched Minnesota’s oldest zoo

Just under 6,000 people in Minnesota live in a town with a population under 100, according to the state demographer. The dynamics of Minnesota's smallest cities are an interesting facet of rural life in the state. Reporters Kim Hyatt and JP Lawrence joined host Eric Roper to discuss their visits to Funkley and Kinbrae. LINKS: What’s the smallest town in Minnesota with a mayor? Frisbee license plat...

Vanity license plates let Minnesotans go beyond the standard "Land of 10,000 Lakes" motto to share their professions and passions. But who is in charge of approving applications for these plates and what criteria do they use? Tim Harlow joins host Erica Pearson to give a glimpse into the Driver and Vehicle Service’s Special Plates Unit. LINKS: Who decides what’s allowed on a vanity plate in Minnes...

Minnesota's love of loons is everywhere these days, from license plates to our pro soccer team's nickname. But it took decades for lawmakers to make the loon our state bird. The goldfinch and scarlet tanager are among the others that nearly took the title instead. Kevin Duchschere joins host Erica Pearson to discuss the surprising history of how the loon landed its role. LINKS: Why is the loon Min...

Many Minnesotans have memories of visiting Excelsior Amusement Park on the shores of Lake Minnetonka. The popular theme park operated from the 1920s to the 1970s. Today, it is the site of condominiums and Maynard's restaurant. Erica Pearson joins host Eric Roper to discuss this once-prominent local attraction. LINKS: Why did the Excelsior Amusement Park on Lake Minnetonka close?

Ski jumping originated in Norway, but its American story begins in Minnesota in the late 1800s. It has since become an enduring part of the winter Olympics. Erica Pearson joins host Eric Roper to discuss the long history of ski jumping in Minnesota. LINKS: How did Minnesota become the birthplace of ski jumping in America?

On the coldest day recorded in Minnesota history, two towns hoped that their official thermometer would give the lowest reading. It was Feb 2, 1996, and news reporters from around the state gathered in Tower and Embarrass. When one town prevailed, a man hammered nails with a frozen banana to celebrate. Casey Darnell joins host Erica Pearson to talk about that record-breaking day. LINKS: What’s the...

We are excited to give Curious Minnesota listeners a preview of the Minnesota Star Tribune's first narrative podcast, "Ghost of a Chance." The six-episode series is reported by Eric Roper and produced by Melissa Townsend, with new episodes appearing every Monday. At its core, the show is about following your curiosity into Minnesota history. You can find "Ghost of a Chance" wherever you access pod...

Many Minnesotans are still nostalgic for the Mall of America's original theme park: Camp Snoopy. They remember details like the giant red dog bowl where groups met up, the Snoopy bounce house and the whimsical fountain. Greta Kaul joins host Erica Pearson to explain why Peanuts left the mall in 2006 and how the park eventually became Nickelodeon Universe. LINKS: What happened to Camp Snoopy at the...

Minnesota is home to a number of abandoned towns that flourished earlier in their history. These ghost towns began with grand visions and enjoyed growing prosperity – until something changed. Anna Boone joins host Erica Pearson to explore the stories behind some of the state's most intriguing ghost towns. LINKS: Minnesota’s ghost towns are a relic of grand visions gone awry

Rest areas are a common site on roadways across Minnesota. While they are easy to overlook, rest areas also serve an important purpose for driver safety. And it turns out that Minnesota has some of the nation's most exceptional rest areas. Reporter Erica Pearson joined host Eric Roper to discuss the history, function and design of these facilities. LINKS: Why are Minnesota’s roadside rest areas so...

After Gov. Tim Walz joked about the state's low spice tolerance in a campaign video, a reader asked Curious Minnesota about the origins of the idea that Minnesotans don't like spicy food. The cultural stereotype is so pervasive in the state that many restaurants include menu warnings or simply offer versions of dishes with extremely minimal seasoning. Reporter Susan Du joins host Erica Pearson to...

The Old Dutch potato chip company is a regional icon in the Midwest, known for its twin pack box. They have been frying potatoes for 90 years. And it all began in a kitchen in St. Paul. Reporter Brooks Johnson joins host Erica Pearson to talk about the company's history and what it was like when he toured their Roseville plant. LINKS: How did Old Dutch potato chips get started in St. Paul?

A surplus of military Quonset huts after World War II provided a unique solution to a housing shortage in Minnesota and across the country. Steph Quinn joins host Eric Roper to discuss these temporary neighborhoods. LINKS: How Quonset huts helped solve the post-WWII housing crisis in the Twin Cities

This special episode of Curious Minnesota was recorded at the State Fair on August 28th. Erica Pearson and Eric Roper discussed the origins of the Minnesota Star Tribune, which dates back to Minneapolis' incorporation as a city in 1867. The Strib is a descendant of three very different papers. The conversation also delved into what life was like on Minneapolis' Newspaper Row. LINKS: How did the Mi...

We had a blast chatting with fairgoers on Curious Minnesota Day at the Minnesota Star Tribune's State Fair building. Today's episode is a roundup of the questions we recorded. LINKS: Why Wisconsin claims — incorrectly — to have more lakes than the Land of 10,000 Lakes Why is Minnesota's Democratic Party called the DFL? How Mayo Clinic became one of the world's most famous medical centers

Minnesota takes great pride in its lakes. "10,000 Lakes" is even emblazoned on the state's license plates. But at least some people in Wisconsin think their state has more lakes than Minnesota. It's because there's not one standard for what defines a lake.  A reader wanted to know more about why the states are measuring their lakes differently. Erica Pearson, who wrote a story on this topic for Cu...

Curious Minnesota will be hosting events at the Minnesota Star Tribune's State Fair building on Saturday, August 24th and Wednesday, August 28th.

Anyone who has spent time in south Minneapolis over the last 50 years has likely run across the unusual intersection at Lake Street and Nicollet Avenue. These are two of the city's most important thoroughfares. But the city decided in the 1970s to close Nicollet at Lake Street so a Kmart store could extend over a portion of two blocks. Adelie Bergström joins host Eric Roper to discuss what led to...

Minnesota is known for its Scandinavian roots, which are apparent in everything from the Vikings football team to the Norwegian bachelor farmers of Lake Wobegon. But more residents report having German ancestry than Scandinavian. So why isn't that German heritage more reflected more in the state's culture? Reporter Greta Kaul joins host Eric Roper to discuss the effort to erase German culture in t...

We've talked about some old things on the podcast, including the state's oldest building and one of the world's oldest rocks. Today's episode is about a journey to visit another Minnesota artifact: the state's oldest known tree. Star Tribune cartographer Jake Steinberg and photographer Anthony Soufflé join host Eric Roper to discuss their winter trip to the Boundary Waters to report on this topic....